Cable raising or separating device.



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PATENTED JULY 14, 1908.. 'A. G. GILLESPIE.& W. E. POTTER.

CABLE RAISING 0R SEPARATING DEVICE. I APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11. 1908.

No. 893,319. PATENTED JULY 14, 1908. A. G. GILLESPIE & w. E. POTTER. OA'BLE RAISING 0R SBPARATING DEVICE.

APPLIGATION PILBD MAR.'11, 1908.

' ZSHEETS-SHEET 2 srnrns PATENT caries.

ANDREW G. GILLESPIE AND WILLIAM E. POTTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO AMERICAN TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

GABLE1BAISI NG- OB SEPARATING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented-July 14, 1908.

Application filed March 11, 190a Serial-No. 420,525.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ANDREW G. GILLES- PIE and WILLIAM E, POTTER, both residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain Improvements in Cable Raising or Separating Devices, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to devices for raism or separating such objects as connecting ca les for electrical purposes, it being especially useful as ap lied to the cables multiplying the jacks 0 telephone switchbo ards. These multiplecables arecompactly massed at the rear of the board, being in tiers one upon the other and also being arranged in vertical series. There are as many horizontal layers as there are horizontal rows of multiple jacks, sometimes exceeding fifty, each layer being situated directly behind the corresponding row, and as many vertical series as there are panels in each switchboard section, the maximum number being ordinarily nine. If it is desired to reach the rear of the jack strips for their removal or. other purposes, it becomes necessary to raise all the cables above those corresponding to the row in which the jacks inquestion are located, to

thus give a space through which to work.

characters designate like the right in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a transverse sec- As these upper tiers may possess great weight, amounting to hundreds'of pounds for com-- parat'ively short sections, this is difiicult to accomplish without injuring the cables or theirconnectio'ns, and to furnish an-efi'ective lmplernent for this purpose is the principal ob ect of our invention.

In the accompanyingdrawings, formin a part of this speclfication and in which simiiar arts throughout the several views, Figure 1 s oWs an edge elevation of one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof looking from tion on the line xw of Fig 2; Fig. 4 shows in perspective a portion of the rear of a telephone switchboard with our invention applied to the cables.thereof,'and Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views in elevation illustrating suc:

cessive steps in the application of the implement.

This improved cable raisin device isprefin the form of a bar B 'aving an elonerabliy gate main or-body portion, which may be.

cast or drop forged from steel,. and which is conveniently formed with side members 10 duly heavy.

. and 11 united by cross members 12, between which are open spaces 13. The cross 'members are-sufficient in number to give the requisite strength and stiffness, yet there not being so many as to render the appliance un- In cross section the body portion is oblong, the'diameter, or lateral axis, passing centrally through both the members 10 and 11 bein much greater than that at right angles ti ereto. The outer edge of the member 10 is rounded at 10, the curve being substantially semicircular so that the sides of the bar merge gradually into it as tangents. The member 11 has a plane surface 11 extending for some distance from one end, and beyond this is a groove 11 circular in contour. At one extremity of the barthe side members are joined by a cross member. 14 of considerable width. upon which is formed a handle 15, and in this member'14 is an opening 16 to receive loosely a turning bar or lever 17 of such length that the proper force may be applied to rotate the bar about a longitudinal axis.

The opposite extremity of the handle is ta ered, the side members converging beyon the last cross 'member 12 and being inclined in both lateral directions to approach a'point at 18, this however being somewhat rounded to prevent the in dry of objects with which it may contact. n tlns reduced end portion is a generally triangular recess or'opening 19 continuingthe series of spaces 13, While the ,outer edges are curved similarly to the edge of the bar at 10*. The tapered end'ol the bar at its inner side is the bar from wider than the body portion,.thus furnishing 21, 21' of a roll or elongated rotatable member 22, the other journalhaving a bearing in a bracket 23, which, as illustrated, is bolted to the edge 11 of the bar adjacent to the end of the groove 11*.

The periphery of the roll lies in close proximity to the wall of the groove, the proportionand relation of theparts' being s'uroll outside the groove becomes practically a continuation of the sides of the bar, wh ch are tangential to it. This edge of the bar therefore resembles in this respect the opposite curved edge 1030f the member 10, the

that the surface of the.

outer portionof the roll lying at the opposite extremity of the maximum diameter of the The len th of the roll is at least as great as the width of any layer of cables to which the implement is to be applied, so that the entire horizontal series may have a bearing on the roll. Upon the bar, preferably along the edgeopposite the roll, is a set of uniformly spaced index marks 10 by which the extent of insertion of the appliance may be determined.

Upon the inner side of the triangular open- 19 is mounted an insulating block 24 carrying-a socket 25 to receive a small incandescent lamp 26. Current may be supplied to this lamp for its illumination by flexible condoctors 27, 27, passing through the spaces 13 and through openings 28 in the cross vmembers 12, these openings being provided with insulating bushings 29. From the space adjacent to the handle the conductors leave the bar by way of a bore 30, suitably hushed, and inclined toward the handle, this inclination tending to prevent, too sharp bending of the conductors.

Referring to Figs. 4 to 6 of the drawings, the letter A designates a portion of a switchboard frame supporting the multiple cables f n which the separate pairs of conduc tors or skinners a extend from successive cables in each horizontal layer to the correspondingrows of jacks. Strips a of Webbing encircle each tier, serving to separate them and to facilitate their identification. Letit be supposed that a fault has been located in a particular multiple jack strip in the third row from the bottom and that the repair men wish to reach it. With the lever 17 removed for convenience in handling and with its maximum diameter extending horizontally, the tapered end of a cable raising implement is inserted between the proper tier of cables and that next above and at a oint to one side of the jack strip sought. .hen the bar is gradually Worked between the layers, as is shown in Fig. 5, until, considering the arrangement of the particular,switchboard upon which the work is being done, the index marks 1O show that the inner end of the roll 22 has passed the last vertical series of cables,

* and therefore to continue further is unnecess'ary and might cause damage by contact of the point with the jacks. This insertion is readily accomplished because of the Wedging efiect of the ta cred end and the comparative thinness oi the bar in its minor lateral dimension. The lever 17 is then passed through its opening and the bar rotated about the edge 10 -resting upon the cable beneath, While the roll '22 runs under the over lying layer. The device now occupies the position shown at the right of Fig. 6, and this change is effected easily'without injury to the cables, slrinners or Webbing by scraping, straining or displacement, Sl11(3-*i16-IIlOV6 ment of the edge ll)" is Vi. v slight, the extent and character of the -..iuu lcd surface preventing imlentution or the cable: and though the roll travels over ctmsidcrnblo sur face, -ts rotation reduces the frictional rcsistance to a minimum. A second bar is now similarly inserted (sec at the lelt'ot Fig. 6) atthe opposite side of the jack turned and lover rcmwwod. thus giving between. the two bars on miobstructcd opening or Working space of practically uniform rectangular section, whi ch i s somewhat longer than the ash strip and in width equal to the maximum diameter of the bars. i e have found it convenient to make the latter dimension two and three fourths inches. This condition of the cables and raising devices is illustrated in Fig. i. The l'lcriblc cords 27 may now be connected to some source of electrical energy, causing the lamps to glow and supplyinp light where it most aids the workmen in discovering and removing the fault. The position of the lamp all'ords it considerable protection, so that it is not liable tobe broken in handling the device. The switchboard dil'llculty having been remedied, the bars are turned back to the position. which followed their introduction and are Withdrawn. It will be evident that both these operations of insertion and 4 may not only be :urcomplislicd ollgli' l to the cables, for the re: :ons alr ad pointed out, but also that they will caus no jarring; of the switchll oard and. therefore will have no jack connectirms. Furthermore, the dcvicc possesses the merits of simplicity, strength and portability.

Vi e claim 1. A cable raising device comprisi an elongated body portion having one ol its luteral dimensions greater than the others, and means for turning the body portion about a longitudina. axis.

2. A cable separating device comprising an elongated body portion having one of its lat eral dimensions. greater than the others, means for turning the body portion about a longitudinal axis, and me ns extending along the body portion for is lit-sting its turning.

3. The cmnbinatlon with a separating bar adapted for insertion between cables and bcing provided with a recess, of illuminating means carried within the recess.

4. A switchboard cable raising implement comprising a bar having 0. ts ered end, and a rotatable member exten ing longitudi nally of the bar and having its outer portion lying at the extremity of the maximum diameter of the bar.

5. A cable raising implement comprising an oblong bar having curved edges and with one end tapered, and a lever cooperating with the bar near the opposite end.

6. The combination with a bar oblong in strip,

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cross section and provided with a handle at one end and being tapered at the opposite end, one edge of the bar bein curved and the portion between the hand e and tapering end having one or more index marks, of a roll extending along the bar opposite the curved edge, anda lever cooperating with the bar adjacent to the handle.

7. The combination with a bar consisting of separated side members and intermediate cross members which are provided with openings, the side members converging beyond an outer cross member, a handle at the opposite end of the bar, an incandescent lamp situated in the space between the converging portions of the side. members, and flexible conductors extending from the lamp through the openings in the cross members to a point in roximity to the handle.

I1 testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this-specification in the-presence of two subscribing witnesses,'this' 7th day of March 1908.

' ANDREW G. GILLESPIE. 7 WILLIAM E. POTTER.

Witnesses:

'EDWARD D. WALLACE,

MARION A. REEVE. 

